P/C Baptist Church in DC

[tod evans]

From Drudge;


Married lesbian couple to lead prominent D.C. Baptist church

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.3e266e5064e9




Calvary Baptist Church, a progressive Baptist landmark in the heart of downtown Washington, has named a gay couple as co-pastors.

Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen were presented to the congregation during worship services Jan. 8 and are set to begin their new jobs Feb. 26.

A spokeswoman for the congregation said she didn’t know whether a gay couple leading a church was a first for Baptists.

“We look for the best people in the world and that’s who they were,” said Carol Blythe. “We’re very excited.”

The 155-year-old church severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2012: It was at loggerheads with the group on several issues, including the SBC’s stance against homosexuality. Calvary Baptist still affiliates with American Baptist Churches USA.

American Baptist Churches USA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarratt and Swearingen come to Calvary from Greenville, S.C., where Sarratt has been serving as associate chaplain for behavioral health in the Greenville Health System and Swearingen as associate chaplain at Furman University, according to a news release from the church.

“We have found it so easy to fall in love with Calvary and its long-standing commitment to be a voice of justice and compassion for those who perpetually find the wholeness of their humanity disregarded and maligned,” the couple said to the congregation Sunday, according to the church.

Sarratt has also been filling the role of part-time associate minister at Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

The women met in the First Baptist Church of Greenville, and were both ordained there after it adopted and implemented a nondiscrimination policy in 2015.

Sarratt, who holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, left the corporate world after she felt called to ministry and obtained her master’s in theological studies from Emory University.

Swearingen, who is fluent in Spanish, earned a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, where she won an award for her preaching.


In 2014, after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the court denied South Carolina’s attempt at a stay, Sarratt told the Greenville News that the couple knew many who “chose sexual identity over a life of faith,” but that there is no need to sacrifice either.

Butler, Calvary’s previous senior minister, left to serve in the same position at New York’s the Riverside Church in 2014.

Calvary Baptist was founded by abolitionists who broke away from another Baptist church where congregants had refused to pray for Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Co-pastoring is a growing trend in U.S. houses of worship, with many churches and couples finding that sharing the often-emotionally heavy workload can benefit both the clergy and the congregants.

[Anti Federalist]

Not "pastors".

Not "married".

[Anti Federalist]

In 2014, after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and the court denied South Carolina’s attempt at a stay, Sarratt told the Greenville News that the couple knew many who “chose sexual identity over a life of faith,” but that there is no need to sacrifice either.

LOL - Simpsons nailed it again:



“Once something has been approved by the government, it's no longer immoral!” – Reverend Lovejoy

[hells_unicorn]

Can't say I really care all that much, since I don't really recognize sectarian Baptist conclaves as part of the visible church, let alone the ultra-secularized Cavalry Baptist sectarians.

[Natural Citizen]

Calvary Baptist was founded by abolitionists who broke away from another Baptist church where congregants had refused to pray for Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Hm. Did not know this...

[hells_unicorn]

One thing that I would say on this matter is that when women assume the offices of men and take on the roles of men in society, they tend to turn into men in other respects. Feminism will tend to feed into lesbianism, which in turn will further destroy society. There is a reason why the Apostle Paul specifically forbade women to hold ecclesiastical office in the church, and also why women behaving and dressing like men was generally frowned upon prior to the 20th century.

[fedupinmo]

Shouldn't they have the same last name?

Also, good news... The poor who attend that church will never run out of sammiches.

[Natural Citizen]

One thing that I would say on this matter is that when women assume the offices of men and take on the roles of men in society, they tend to turn into men in other respects. Feminism will tend to feed into lesbianism, which in turn will further destroy society. There is a reason why the Apostle Paul specifically forbade women to hold ecclesiastical office in the church, and also why women behaving and dressing like men was generally frowned upon prior to the 20th century.

Have you ever read the Book of Jasher? I hadn't. I didn't even know it existed until I found it mentioned in 2 Samuel and Joshua. I suppose you know who Jasher was. To read that offers a much different account than what we've been taught today. It's interesting from a position of pure Bible study. Some writings make a case for women being leaders at the time whereas in other intances the church has defined itself as a masculine entity. It's kind of annoying that the Book is mentioned in the Bible, yet the Book itself is left out. Of course, there are several instances of that happening. I suppose it's true that the winners in history get to write it. Eve ntoday we see this happening as we blow up nations abroad and then rebuild their education centers while strategically leaving our interests and meddling out of the new texbooks.

[Christian Liberty]

Can't say I really care all that much, since I don't really recognize sectarian Baptist conclaves as part of the visible church, let alone the ultra-secularized Cavalry Baptist sectarians.

I'm hoping you'll see this, since I see this was posted over a week ago. I'd certainly agree that these types of ultra-secularized types are outside the visible church. But, would you say your average "Calvinistic" or "Reformed" baptist churches are not true parts of the visible church? Currently, I'm inclined not to agree with that. Would you mind explaining?

[Christian Liberty]

Bump for HU